Support Assembly

ABSTRACT

An ornamental support assembly for locking and supporting a substantially ring shaped ornament, such as an article of jewelry, while also enhancing visibility of the ornament. A body portion comprising a substantially closed loop carries the ornament. The body portion links with the ornament in a secure configuration. A release portion forms a section of the body portion, and serves to regulate access to the ornament. The release portion includes a hinged end that pivotally rotates relative to the body portion. The hinged end pivots outwardly such that the release portion disengages the body portion to form an open position for the ornament to join or separate the body portion. The release portion is biased to engage the body portion in a closed position. A support portion extends from the body portion to provide support. A base portion joins with the support portion for resting on a surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the [U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 61/734,996 titled “Ornament Support Assembly,” filed on Dec. 8, 2012 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes to the extent that such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith or limiting hereof.

RELATED CO-PENDING U.S. PATENT APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to a support assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a support assembly for supporting and enabling access to an ornament.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that jewelry is often a small decorative item worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Jewelry may be attached to the body or the clothes, and the term is restricted to durable ornaments, excluding flowers for example.

In many instances, jewelry may be made from a wide range of materials, but gemstones and similar materials such as amber and coral, precious metals, beads, and shells have been widely used, and enamel has often been important. Jewelry can be understood as a status symbol, for its material properties, its patterns, or for meaningful symbols. Jewelry often takes a substantially ring-shaped configuration to fit around necks, fingers, and ears. Jewelry has been made to adorn nearly every body part, from hairpins to toe rings.

Typically, a carabiner is a metal loop with a spring loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The carabiner can reversibly from a break in the loop, but is often biased towards forming a closed loop. The carabiner can take a substantially ring-shaped design for carrying a ring-shaped article of jewelry.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary ornament support assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary ornament support assembly with an exemplary release portion in a closed position and an exemplary release portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.

It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.

Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.

Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present Application or of any further Application derived therefrom.

References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.

The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Devices or system modules that are in at least general communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices or system modules that are in at least general communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention.

As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

There are various types of ornamental support assemblies that may be provided by preferred embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support assembly may provide an assembly for locking a ring-shaped ornament onto an assembly in a visible position. The assembly creates an aesthetic support for the ornament and increases the visibility of the ornament, such as a ring. The support assembly may help secure an ornament to a surface, while providing a mechanism to facilitate the attachment and release of the ornament to the ornament support assembly. The ornament support assembly may include a body portion configured to receive the ornament. The ornament may include, without limitation, a ring, a necklace, and an earring. The body portion may include a substantially loop shape. In this manner, the body portion may enclose the ornament in a secure configuration. In some embodiments, the assembly may include a release portion. The release portion may be operable to position along a longitudinal axis or an outer surface of the body portion. In some embodiments, the release portion may include a hinged end that pivotally rotates relative to the body portion. The hinged end may pivot outwardly from the body portion, thereby breaking the substantially loop shape of the body portion, and providing a release point for the ornament to join or separate with the body portion. In one embodiment, the release portion may include a carabiner. The hinged end may join with the body portion through various means, including, without limitation, a spring, a rod, and a magnet. In some embodiments, the release portion may include a distal end. The distal end may engage with the body portion to form a closed position. However, in another embodiment, the distal end may extend from the body portion to form the open position. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that a carabiner type spring on the hinged end may bias the distal end towards the closed position.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ornament support assembly may include a support portion. The support portion may function to support the body portion, and consequently the ornament, in various orientations. The support portion may include a rod sufficiently long to allow the ornament on the body portion to clear a surface. The support portion may be configured to be rigid and linear. In some embodiments, the support portion may include a base portion. The base portion may join with the support portion in a perpendicular orientation to provide a base for the ornament support assembly. In some embodiments, the base portion may permanently join with the surface. The base portion may secure to the surface through various means, including, without limitation, an adhesive, a magnet, and a screw. However in other embodiments, the base portion may detachably attach to the surface.

FIG. 1 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary ornament support assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, the ornament support assembly 100 may provide an assembly for locking a ring-shaped ornament onto the assembly in a visible position. The assembly creates an aesthetic support for the ornament and increases the visibility of the ornament, such as a ring. In some embodiments, the support assembly may help secure an ornament 102 to a surface, while providing a locking mechanism to facilitate the attachment and release of the ornament to the ornament support assembly. In this manner, the ornament may be visible and accessible without contacting a surface. The ornament support assembly may include a body portion 104 configured to receive the ornament. The ornament may include, without limitation, a ring, a necklace, a bracelet and an earring. However, any substantially ring-shaped ornament may be secured by the support assembly. The body portion may include a substantially loop shape. However, any closed shape may be used. In this manner, the body portion may enclose the ornament in a secure configuration. However in other embodiments, the body portion may include a decorative shape, including, without limitation, a heart, a flower, and a butterfly.

In one alternative embodiment, the body portion may include a magnet or an adhesive, whereby a metal ornament may form a magnetic or adhesive bond with a section of the body portion. Suitable materials for the body portion may include, without limitation, metal, alloys, plastic, high density polyvinyl chloride, fiberglass, and wood. The body portion may include a release portion 106 for provide a mechanism for joining and separating the ornament from the body portion. The release portion may serve to open and close the loop of the body portion. A support portion 108 may join with the body portion to provide support. The support portion may extend from the body portion. A base portion 110 may join at with one end of the support portion to provide a base for the assembly. The base portion may engage the ground to provide stable support means for the entire support assembly.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed perspective view of an exemplary ornament support assembly with an exemplary release portion in a closed position and an exemplary release portion in an open position, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, the assembly may include a release portion that serves to open and close the body portion for releasing and locking the ornament within the body portion. The release portion may be operable to position along a longitudinal axis or an outer surface of the body portion. In some embodiments, the release portion may include a hinged end 202 that pivotally rotates relative to the body portion. The hinged end may pivot outwardly from the body portion, thereby breaking the substantially loop shape of the body portion, and providing a release point for the ornament to join or separate with the body portion. However in other embodiments, the release portion may detach directly from the body portion through a snap. In some embodiments, the hinged end may join with the body portion through various means, including, without limitation, a threaded rod, a spring, a rod, and a magnet. In one embodiment, the release portion may include a carabiner. In some embodiments, the release portion may include a distal end 204. The distal end may engage with the body portion to form a closed position 206. However, in another embodiment, the distal end may extend from the release portion to form an open position 208, whereby the ornament may join or separate from the body portion. The distal end may include a fastener to enhance the connection with the body portion. Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize that a carabiner type spring on the hinged end may bias the distal end towards the closed position.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ornament support assembly may include a support portion that extends from the body portion. The support portion may function to support the body portion, and consequently the ornament, in a substantially linear orientation, either vertically, horizontally, or at an angle. The support portion may include a rod sufficiently long to allow the ornament on the body portion to clear a surface. The rod may be adjustable, such that the length, and/or orientation, and/or angle may vary. The support portion may be configured to be rigid and linear. In some embodiments, the ornament support assembly may include a base portion. The base portion may join with the support portion in a perpendicular orientation to provide a base for the ornament support assembly. The base portion may secure to the surface through various means, including, without limitation, an adhesive, a magnet, and a screw.

In one alternative embodiment, the ornament support assembly may include a base portion that joins solely with a carabiner to provide similar functionality as the support portion and body portion. In yet another alternative embodiment, the body portion may hang from a ceiling rather than utilize a support portion and a base portion. In yet another alternative embodiment, the release portion may slide to form the open position and the closed position. In yet another embodiment, the body portion may be configured to support various accessories, including, without limitation, earring, necklaces, bracelets, cosmetics, wigs, and purses.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing steps may be suitably replaced, reordered, removed and additional steps may be inserted depending upon the needs of the particular application. Moreover, the prescribed method steps of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented using any physical and/or hardware system that those skilled in the art will readily know is suitable in light of the foregoing teachings. For any method steps described in the present application that can be carried out on a computing machine, a typical computer system can, when appropriately configured or designed, serve as a computer system in which those aspects of the invention may be embodied. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular tangible means of implementation.

It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art that at least a portion of the novel method steps and/or system components of the present invention may be practiced and/or located in location(s) possibly outside the jurisdiction of the United States of America (USA), whereby it will be accordingly readily recognized that at least a subset of the novel method steps and/or system components in the foregoing embodiments must be practiced within the jurisdiction of the USA for the benefit of an entity therein or to achieve an object of the present invention. Thus, some alternate embodiments of the present invention may be configured to comprise a smaller subset of the foregoing means for and/or steps described that the applications designer will selectively decide, depending upon the practical considerations of the particular implementation, to carry out and/or locate within the jurisdiction of the USA. For example, any of the foregoing described method steps and/or system components which may be performed remotely over a network (e.g., without limitation, a remotely located server) may be performed and/or located outside of the jurisdiction of the USA while the remaining method steps and/or system components (e.g., without limitation, a locally located client) of the forgoing embodiments are typically required to be located/performed in the USA for practical considerations. In client-server architectures, a remotely located server typically generates and transmits required information to a US based client, for use according to the teachings of the present invention. Depending upon the needs of the particular application, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of the teachings of the present invention, which aspects of the present invention can or should be located locally and which can or should be located remotely. Thus, for any claims construction of the following claim limitations that are construed under 35 USC §112 (6) it is intended that the corresponding means for and/or steps for carrying out the claimed function are the ones that are locally implemented within the jurisdiction of the USA, while the remaining aspect(s) performed or located remotely outside the USA are not intended to be construed under 35 USC §112 (6).

All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

It is noted that according to USA law 35 USC §112 (1), all claims must be supported by sufficient disclosure in the present patent specification, and any material known to those skilled in the art need not be explicitly disclosed. However, 35 USC §112 (6) requires that structures corresponding to functional limitations interpreted under 35 USC §112 (6) must be explicitly disclosed in the patent specification. Moreover, the USPTO's Examination policy of initially treating and searching prior art under the broadest interpretation of a “mean for” claim limitation implies that the broadest initial search on 112(6) functional limitation would have to be conducted to support a legally valid Examination on that USPTO policy for broadest interpretation of “mean for” claims. Accordingly, the USPTO will have discovered a multiplicity of prior art documents including disclosure of specific structures and elements which are suitable to act as corresponding structures to satisfy all functional limitations in the below claims that are interpreted under 35 USC §112 (6) when such corresponding structures are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification. Therefore, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claims interpreted under 35 USC §112 (6), which is/are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification, yet do exist in the patent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of USPTO searching, Applicant(s) incorporate all such functionally corresponding structures and related enabling material herein by reference for the purpose of providing explicit structures that implement the functional means claimed. Applicant(s) request(s) that fact finders during any claims construction proceedings and/or examination of patent allowability properly identify and incorporate only the portions of each of these documents discovered during the broadest interpretation search of 35 USC §112 (6) limitation, which exist in at least one of the patent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of normal USPTO searching and or supplied to the USPTO during prosecution. Applicant(s) also incorporate by reference the bibliographic citation information to identify all such documents comprising functionally corresponding structures and related enabling material as listed in any PTO Form-892 or likewise any information disclosure statements (IDS) entered into the present patent application by the USPTO or Applicant(s) or any 3^(rd) parties. Applicant(s) also reserve its right to later amend the present application to explicitly include citations to such documents and/or explicitly include the functionally corresponding structures which were incorporate by reference above.

Thus, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claims, that are interpreted under 35 USC §112 (6), which is/are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification, Applicant(s) have explicitly prescribed which documents and material to include the otherwise missing disclosure, and have prescribed exactly which portions of such patent and/or non-patent documents should be incorporated by such reference for the purpose of satisfying the disclosure requirements of 35 USC §112 (6). Applicant(s) note that all the identified documents above which are incorporated by reference to satisfy 35 USC §112 (6) necessarily have a filing and/or publication date prior to that of the instant application, and thus are valid prior documents to incorporated by reference in the instant application.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of implementing a support assembly for supporting and enabling access to an ornament according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various aspects of the invention have been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. The particular implementation of a support assembly for supporting and enabling access to an ornament may vary depending upon the particular context or application. By way of example, and not limitation, the a support assembly for supporting and enabling access to an ornament described in the foregoing were principally directed to a carabiner that rests on a decorative stand for holding ring-shaped jewelry implementations; however, similar techniques may instead be applied to securing hats on a hat holder or kitchen tools to a cabinet, which implementations of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims. It is to be further understood that not all of the disclosed embodiments in the foregoing specification will necessarily satisfy or achieve each of the objects, advantages, or improvements described in the foregoing specification.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An assembly comprising: a body portion, said body portion being configured to carry an ornament, said body portion comprising a release portion for regulating access to said ornament, said release portion comprising a hinged end and a distal end, said hinged end being operable to at least partially enable said release portion to move relative to said body portion for forming a closed position and an open position, said closed position comprising said body portion and said release portion forming a substantially closed loop, said open position comprising said distal end at least partially disengaging from said body portion, said open position being operable to enable said ornament to join or separate with said body portion; and a support portion, said support portion being disposed to join with said body portion, said support portion being configured to support said body portion and to enhance visibility of said ornament.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, in which said assembly comprises an ornamental support assembly.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, in which said body portion comprises a substantially closed loop with a spring loaded gate.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, in which said body portion comprises a carabiner.
 5. The assembly of claim 4, in which said closed loop comprises a heart design.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, in which said ornament comprises a ring-shaped ornament.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, in which said ring-shaped ornament comprises an article of jewelry.
 8. The assembly of claim 7, in which said release portion comprises a section of said body portion.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, in which said hinged portion comprises a hinge for pivoting said release portion.
 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said release portion pivots outwardly to form said open position.
 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said release portion engages said body portion to form said closed position.
 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein said hinged end is biased to form said closed position.
 13. The assembly of claim 12, in which said support portion comprises a linear, rigid rod.
 14. The assembly of claim 13, in which said support portion comprises a base portion.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said base portion is disposed to join with said support portion.
 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said base portion is configured to mount a surface.
 17. The assembly of claim 16, in which said base portion comprises a disc-shape.
 18. The assembly of claim 17, in which said base portion comprises an adhesive.
 19. A assembly comprising: means for supporting an ornament with an assembly for enhancing visibility of said ornament; means for engaging a base portion with said surface; means for moving a release portion to an open position; means for joining said ornament with a body portion; means for moving said release portion to a closed position; and means for securing said ornament to said body portion.
 20. A assembly consisting of: a body portion, said body portion comprising a substantially closed loop with a spring loaded gate, said body portion further comprising a heart shape, said body portion being configured to carry an ornament, said ornament comprising an article of jewelry having a substantially ring-shape, said body portion comprising a release portion for regulating access to said ornament, said release portion comprising a section of said body portion, said release portion comprising a hinged end and a distal end, said hinged end being operable to at least partially enable said release portion to move relative to said body portion for forming a closed position and an open position, said closed position comprising said body portion and said release portion forming a substantially closed loop, said hinged end being biased to form said closed position, said open position comprising said distal end at least partially disengaging from said body portion, said open position being operable to enable said ornament to join or separate with said body portion; a support portion, said support portion being disposed to join with said body portion, said support portion being configured to support said body portion and to enhance visibility of said ornament; and a base portion, said base portion being disposed to join with said support portion, said base portion being configured to engage a surface, said base portion comprising a substantially disc-shape. 